Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1983)
Page 4 March 25,1983 Spilÿaÿ Tÿmoo Agency District Candidates Rudy Clements I have never before served on the Tribal Council, nor have I ever run fo r Council. But I believe I am now ready to serve on the Council and to o ffe r the s k ills and abilities I have developed in nearly 20 years o f working fo r the Tribes. As M unicipal Manager, I organized and directed the largest and most complex branch in tribal government fo r n in e years. I was responsible fo r education, law e n fo rc e m e n t, c o u rt a d m in istra tio n , the com m u n ity c e n te r, n a tu ra l resources, extension, fire and safety, and employee training and adm inistration. A s D ir e c t o r o f th e E m p lo y e e D e v e lo p m e n t department, I am respon sible now fo r providing job tr a in in g a n d c a re e r development opportunities, p a r t ic u la r ly f o r t r ib a l members. When I started working f o r th e T r ib e s a f t e r g ra d u a tio n from Eastern Oregon State College and after teaching in the David Douglas schools, I was the f i r s t d i r e c t o r o f th e C om m unity Center. Since then, whatever my job, I have always worked hard to m ake s u re th a t tr ib a l members are involved in designing and running tribal programs and in deciding tribal priorities. As a tribal manager, I have acquired an extensive background in all areas of tribal operations, and I have great respect fo r the contributions which the Hazel Seyler When I returned from business college, I was hired by Vern Jackson. S h o r tly a fte r I b e g a n w orking, we started the first c re d it p ro g ra m . It was fu n d e d b y th e fe d e ra l governm ent through a loan. C redit manager Clyde Wren and I were the firs t to be a ssig n e d to th e c re d it program. We were both new to the job, and w ithout much assistance, we learned to manage the department! For about tw o years, I managed all credit matters because com m unity can make. I believe these experiences w ill help me to be an effective member of the Tribal Council. I also have considerable experience in working with tribal committees and in representing tribal interests o ff the reservation. I am chairman of the Land Use c o m m itte e , w h ic h has nearly completed its work on a new Comprehensive Plan to guide the reserva tio n ’s fu tu re . The plan involved not only land use matters, but tribal govern ment, human resources, cultural resources, housing, recreation, public facilities, tra n s p o rta tio n , the trib a l e c o n o m y , fo re s t lands, agriculture and range, and n a tu ra l re so u rce s. The comm ittee has insisted that the co m m u n ity take an active role in the plan’s development and recom mendations. As a result, Warm Springs w ill have a Comprehensive Plan we can there was no credit officer. I started as credit clerk, and when I retired last year, after 261/2 years, I was senior loan officer. I re ceived a s p e cia l c ita tio n fo r outsta n d in g performance in field office m anagem ent, d e d icatio n , in s p ira tio n and genuine lo y a lty in 1976. I also studied applied economics and elementary functions fo r m y o w n p e rs o n a l inform ation. I have a lw a y s been interested in tribal affairs and events and develop m ents. B ecause I was working in credit fo r so m any ye a rs, I c o u ld n ’t become actively involved. I believe I’ll enjoy serving on C o u n cil because o f the Tribes’ diversity. I have kept u p -to -d a te as m uch as possible on tribal activities a n d c o n c e rn s th ro u g h available sources such as the Spilyay, newsletter and outside media. Because I am retired now I th in k I can devote much tim e and energy to Tribal Council. There are situa tions that can benefit from p o s itiv e th o u g h ts and h o ld in g fir m to o n e ’s convictions. be proud of. I am also a member of the Mid-Oregon Indian H istori- Society, the chairman of the S tanding C om m ittee on Education Issues, and the chairman of the Oregon C o m m is s io n on In d ia n Services. As a member of the Commission. I have had the opportunity to work c lo s e ly w ith O re g o n ’s Governor and Legislature to im prove trib a l-s ta te rela tions. In addition, I have had fr e q u e n t c o n ta c t w ith federal agency officials and the Congress to advocate fo r trib a l program s and policy positions, and I have b e e n r e s p o n s ib le f o r d e v e lo p in g n e w t r ib a l programs and obtaining the funding necessary to carry them out. What I want to accomplish as a Tribal Council member * We need to make sure that th e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t always upholds its treaty and trust responsibilities to us. ‘ We need to make sure that the tribal budget is balanced s o t h a t w e a re n o t je o p a rd izin g the T rib e s’ future economic health or its sovereignty. ‘ We n e e d to a n a ly z e carefully the organizational structure o f tribal adm ini stration to make sure that it fit s th e n e e d s o f th e c o m m u n ity and th a t it represents our interests. * We need to make sure that the Comprehensive Plan is carried out through tribal budgets and annual plans, and th a t co m m u n ica tio n between the com m unity and tribal government continues as the plan’s recommenda Bernice Mitchell I am running fo r re- election fo r T ribal C ouncil because I feel it is very im p o rta n t th a t we have c o n t i n u i t y o n T r ib a l Council. I w ill continue to take a leave o f absence from my jo b at the Headstart program if I am re-elected. Things are moving too fast fo r countries. It doesn’t hurt us to stand still fo r a few tions are put into action. * \Ne need to make sure that the Tribal C ouncil carries o u t its c o n s t it u t io n a l responsibilities as the tribal governing body by clearly d e fin in g th e d is tin c tio n between tribal policy and tribal adm inistration. * We need to streamline Tribal Council operations in ways th a t w ill allow it sufficient time to address s ig n ific a n t tr ib a l issues w ithout getting involved in trivial matters. * We need to make sure that tribal committees and tribal programs know what is expected of them and what a u th o r ity th e y a re to exercise. * We need to make sure that tribal members are always given firs t p rio rity in fillin g vacancies in tribal govern ment and tribal enterprises. * We need to make sure that tribal and federal programs, w h e th e r in e d u c a tio n , health, law enforcement, or com m unity services, are run efficiently but appropriately to the needs o f trib a l members. * We need to make sure that trib a l g o ve rn m e n t does n o th in g to u n d e rm in e tr a d itio n a l, c u ltu r a l o r religious practices. * We need to make sure that tr ib a l m em bers receive a d e q u a te tr a in in g and support to assume respon s ib ilit ie s fo r a ll tr ib a l endeavors. * \Ne need to make sure that th e C onfederated Tribes keeps well-inform ed about the a ctivitie s of outside governments and interests that m ight affect us as a sovereign Indian comm u nity. minutes occasionally and see this. Twenty-six years ago, I was on T ribal Council for three years. I have been a resident of Warm Springs all of my life. Education is number one fo r me. Education includes tribal culture and tradition plus business. The tribe must take the good out of traditional education and s ta n d a r d i n s t i t u t i o n a l education—this w ould be a w onderful and unique reservation. There is a need fo r an education center fo r the y o u n g . We s o m e tim e s forget th e ir needs. Educa tion begins with the very young. Education from the yo ungest to the oldest should never stop. And, tr a d it io n in e d u c a tio n should be encouraged, r In the future I see Kah- Nee-Ta picking up. It will e ve n tu a lly be a reliable source o f income to the reservation. Also, I see the need fo r electricity to all the households. I see this as happening in the 1980s.
